China Goes Green

February 5, 2012

As has raced to modernity it has experienced unthinkable economic growth—10% annual growth over the last 3 decades—as well unimaginable environmental degradation. Foreign newspapers regularly report the poisoning on entire communities downstream from industrial complexes. In 1998 experienced on of its worst floods in centuries, due entirely to clear cutting. And closer to home, the canals that flow through my wife’s home town used to be full of young kids escaping the summer heat. Now it home to green algae and plastic waste thrown into the river by the local residents.

is starting to take notice. Throughout the country signs are sprout up encouraging people to conserve and preserve. Below are a list of a few signs that I have come across during the last few weeks here in :

• “Water is our lifeblood. Please preserve it.” This was seen on top of Yellow Mountain where a booming tourist industry brings millions of visitors a year and all of the daily supplies from food, to water, to clean sheets for the hotels are carried 6 km straight up hill (over 5000 steps) by porter.

• “When visiting the mountain pleas leave no foot prints and take away only memories of your visit.” Also seen on Yellow Mountain. This is an important sign to post, as the Chinese are notorious for throwing trash where ever they are without thinking about the consequences. I believe this is a direct result of its enormous population. In order to provide jobs, you constantly see people out sweeping the trash off the city streets. People litter and the next day the trash is gone, so they never consider the consequences.

• “Conservation is a wonderful virtue, please conserve paper.” This sign was posted in the bathroom of a Western restaurant named Henry’s Home Cooking. It may be the Western influence of its clientele, as it served such things as pizza, fajitas, smoked salmon and mash and bangers.

• Written across a green leaf, posted in the bathrooms of the 5 different hotels I have stayed in since arriving is the following, “We are devoting to set up the green hotel. So when you won’t use the towel, please put in the basket. Such as you deman replacing the sheets every day, pleasen notify the house keeping. Thank you for your cooperate !” I have included the Chinese syntax because it is kind of fun to read. In fact, there is a whole website called engrish.com that is dedicated to funny English signs in other countries. What is important is that emphasis is being places on green industry, and this is one wonderful example.

• “One small step closer, one big step towards civility.” Though this has nothing to do with being green, I have seen this sign all over the place. It is located just above the urinal. Needless to say in the past the Chinese men (I can’t speak for women) have had a hard time finding inside of the toilet.
  

People have different explanations for why is turning green. The cynics say that it is their attempt to look good under the up coming spotlight of the 2008 Olympics. The optimists point out that has been investing billions in green technology for over a decade now, and although they are still one of the worst polluters, they are trying to curb their mammoth carbon footprint. Where ever the truth lies, and it most certainly is somewhere in the middle, is bringing conservation and preservation into the consciousness of its 1.4 billion consumers.